- Tweets, calls, texts and Facebook shares drive Bell's donations
to mental health
- #BellLetsTalk again the top Twitter trend in Canada - and now #1 worldwide!
- Canadians everywhere, politicians, sports figures, entertainers
all lending their support
- Learn more at Bell.ca/LetsTalk - including the 5 simple ways we
can all fight the stigma around mental illness
MONTREAL, Jan. 28, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - On the
5th annual Bell Let's Talk Day, more Canadians than ever
before are supporting the fight for a Canada free of stigma around
mental illness - and there's plenty of time left for you to help
drive Bell's donations to mental health today.
By noon eastern time, Canadians
had already engaged in a total of 30.73 million interactions -
calls, tweets, texts and Facebook shares - in support of the Bell
Let's Talk message. That's 17% more than at the same time last
year. By 3 pm eastern, the total was
nearing 60 million messages. With a Bell donation of 5 cents for each, that's equivalent to
approximately $3 million more in new
funding for Canadian mental health.
"Wow Canada! Your support for the cause has grown by leaps and
bounds every year since we launched the Bell Let's Talk initiative
in 2010. But this level of support and engagement in the mental
health conversation is truly incredible!" said Clara Hughes, Canada's 6-time Olympic medalist
and national spokesperson for Bell Let's Talk. "Bell Let's Talk Day
is far from over, so we have the chance to take it even further.
What better way to show that we we all believe in a stigma-free
Canada than by keeping those messages of support rolling in!"
- Last year, Bell Let's Talk was the top Twitter trend in
Canada and #3 worldwide - this
year, you've made the cause the #1 trend worldwide; in fact, the
total number of Bell Let's Talk tweets has more than doubled year
over year.
- Governor General David Johnston
and Canadian leaders everywhere have tweeted and texted their
support - including Prime Minister Stephen
Harper, Cabinet Ministers, Opposition Leader Thomas Mulcair, Liberal Leader Pierre Trudeau and MPs from all parties, all 13
provincial and territorial leaders, mayors and other politicians
across the country.
- More than twice as many people had visited the Bell Let's Talk
website already compared to last year.
- Pro sports players and organizations across Canada and the U.S.
are behind the cause, including Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres,
Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado
Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers, Hamilton Tiger-Cats,
Mike Fisher, Montreal Canadiens,
Nashville Predators, New York
Rangers, the NHLPA, Ottawa
Senators, Philadelphia Flyers, San
Jose Sharks, Toronto Argonauts, Toronto Blue Jays, Toronto FC, Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto
Marlies, Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Whitecaps.
- Celebrities tweeting their support already today include
longtime Bell Let's Talk supporter William
Shatner and André Ducharme, Arkells, Bryan Adams, Chris
Hadfield, Dan Bigras,
Dany Turcotte, Donnie Wahlberg, Down With Webster, Elisha Cuthbert, Eric
Salvail, Fall Out Boy, Hedley, Jann
Arden, Joel Legendre, k.d.
lang, Kevin O'Leary, Kim Cattrall, Les Grandes Gueules, Lights ,
Marianas Trench, Mario Tessier,
Mother Mother, Nathan Fillion,
Nelly Furtado, Sarah McLachlan, Serena
Ryder, Sophia Bush,
Theo Fleury, The Tragically Hip,
Trailer Park Boys and Véronique Bannon.
- Bell competitors Rogers, Telus, Vidéotron and Wind Mobile have
all tweeted their support. Thank you!
It's easy to join the conversation
Today, for every text message, wireless and long distance call made
by Bell Canada and Bell Aliant
customers, every tweet using #BellLetsTalk, and every Facebook
share of the Bell Let's Talk Day image at
Facebook.com/BellLetsTalk, Bell will donate 5 cents more to Canadian mental health
programs.
In 2014, Canadians answered the call with a total of 109,451,718
messages including texts, wireless and long distance calls, tweets
and Facebook shares, meaning Bell added another $5,472,585.90 to its Bell Let's Talk funding
commitment. Based on its original $50
million donation and the results of the last 4 Bell Let's
Talk Days, Bell has now committed more than $67.5 million to Canadian mental health.
Bell's donations are made at no extra charge to Bell Let's Talk
Day participants, though normal long distance or text charges, if
any, apply.
5 simple ways to help end the stigma
We can all help end the stigma around mental illness with these 5
simple ways:
- Language matters - pay attention to the words you use about
mental illness
- Educate yourself - learn, know and talk more, understand the
signs
- Be kind - small acts of kindness say a lot
- Listen and ask - sometimes it's best to just listen
- Talk about it - start a dialogue, break the silence
The 2015 Bell Let's Talk team
This year, TSN host Michael
Landsberg, comedian Howie
Mandel and entertainer Mary
Walsh join Clara and Québec spokespeople Stefie Shock and Michel
Mpambara in the Bell Let's Talk campaign.
The long-time host of TSN's Off The Record, Michael Landsberg is a renowned advocate for
mental health. Howie Mandel is the
internationally known comedian, actor and TV host. Mary Walsh is a social activist, comedian and
actor whose work includes the iconic news satire show This Hour Has
22 Minutes.
A new ambassador, professional golfer Andrew Jensen, has also joined comedian and
writer Kevin Breel, CFL veteran
Shea Emry and musician Robb Nash to share personal stories and
encourage Canadians to get engaged in the conversation.
"Thank you to the amazing Bell Let's Talk team for helping to
spread the mental health message. Together, we're working to end
the stigma and make mental health part of our everyday
conversations," said Mary Deacon,
Chair of Bell Let's Talk.
Bell Let's Talk Day Events
Bell Let's Talk and Cisco host nationwide student
TelePresence event
Today, Clara Hughes and Michel Mpambara led live interactive webcasts
linking schools nationwide to encourage youth to talk about mental
health. In Toronto, Clara was
joined by Michael Landsberg and
Kevin Breel. Joining Michel in
Montréal were Alex Genest,
Josiane Babin of the Montreal Mental
Illness Foundation's Partners for Life program, and NRJ
radio and television host Anais
Favron, who moderated the event.
CLARA'S BIG RIDE documentary on CTV and CraveTV
Airing in primetime tonight on CTV and CTV Two, CLARA'S BIG
RIDE is a powerful documentary chronicling 6-time Olympic
medalist and Bell Let's Talk national spokesperson Clara Hughes' epic 110-day bicycle journey to
help build a Canada free of the stigma of mental illness.
CLARA'S BIG RIDE will be available all day on CraveTV
and CTV.ca, before airing at 7:00 pm
ET/PT in super-simulcast on CTV and CTV Two and
live-streamed on CTV GO.
Bell Media is marking the 5th annual Bell Let's Talk
Day with more than 50 hours of special mental health-themed
programming that will air across its properties, including CTV, CTV
Two, BNN, CP24, CTV News Channel, Discovery, E!, M3, Much, MTV,
RDS, Space, TSN, CraveTV, and TheLoop.ca, as well as Bell Media
digital, radio, and local TV platforms throughout the day.
To learn more about Bell Media's special Bell Let's Talk Day
programming, please visit http://bmpr.ca/15PewCc.
Toronto Raptors game in support of Bell Let's Talk
Tonight, Clara will attend the Toronto Raptors game. To celebrate
Bell Let's Talk Day, the first 10,000 fans who arrive at the game
will receive Bell Let's Talk toques and fans will be encouraged to
continue the conversation about mental health by calling, texting
and tweeting.
Canadian Armed Forces mental health awareness event
Bell Let's Talk ambassador Andrew
Jensen participated in a panel discussion about mental
health at National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa from 11 to 11 30 am.
Tomorrow night, Clara will join the Ottawa Senators and the Dallas Stars at centre
ice for the ceremonial puck drop during the Bell Hockey
Talks mental health in support of D.I.F.D (Do It For
Daron) game at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa (TSN, 7 pm
ET). Fans will receive Bell Let's Talk and D.I.F.D mittens
when they arrive at the game.
To learn more about Bell Let's Talk and how to join the
conversation, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.
The Bell Let's Talk mental health initiative
Bell Let's Talk promotes mental health based on 4 action pillars -
anti-stigma, care and access, research, and workplace best
practices. The initiative supports mental health leaders across the
country including the Royal Ottawa Hospital, Institut universitaire
en santé mentale de Montréal, Hôpital Charles-LeMoyne, Montreal Jewish Hospital, the
Centre for Addiction and Mental
Health (CAMH), the University of British
Columbia, the Douglas Mental Health University Institute,
Queen's University, La Fondation du Centre hospitalier universitaire de Québec,
Concordia University, Brain Canada, Kids Help Phone, Sunnybrook Hospital, Université Laval
Foundation, CHU Sainte-Justine and Vancouver General Hospital.
Bell Let's Talk Community Fund.
The annual Bell Let's Talk Community Fund supports organizations in
Canada focused on improving access
to programs and services that support and help improve the mental
health and wellbeing of people living with mental health issues
from coast to coast to coast with grants in the range of
$5,000 to $50,000. Applications are
now being accepted for the 2015 Bell Let's Talk Community Fund. The
2015 application period is open until March
31 and all 2015 Fund grants will be disbursed before
December 31, 2015.
To apply for 2015 funding, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.
About Bell
Bell is Canada's largest communications company, providing
consumers and business customers with wireless, TV, Internet, home
phone and business communications services. Bell Media is Canada's
premier multimedia company with leading assets in television,
radio, out of home and digital media. Bell is wholly owned by
Montréal's BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE). For more information, please
visit Bell.ca
SOURCE Bell Canada